1 - 2 days

Your eye may feel itchy and gritty. You may have a mild headache. Lights and colours may seem unusually bright. Your vision will normally be much sharper. Your eye may be red and you may even have a black eye. All this is perfectly normal and nothing to worry about. Use your drops regularly and wear your shield at night.

• Get up, get dressed, move around the house.
• Walk and do gentle exercise as normal.
• It is fine to read and watch television.

Yes

3 - 7 days

• Your eye may still be gritty and feel slightly dry.
• If you had a red eye it will be improving.
• If you had a black eye the bruising will be reducing.
• Your vision should be better than before the operation, although your near vision may not be as clear as your distance vision.

• All normal activities.
• Gentle exercise other than swimming.
• You may still occasionally need to take mild pain relief.
• If you meet the DVLA standard, you are legally entitled to drive.
• Most people who work are back by now.

Yes

7 - 10 days

Back to normal, although your vision may still be slightly blurred until you are measured for new glasses.

You should be back to your normal daily activities and exercise, other than swimming.

Yes

10 - 14 days

You should now be able to do most of your normal routine, although swimming is still not recommended.

Yes

3 - 4 weeks

At 4 weeks you will normally have completed the last of your eye drops. Your eye will look normal again and you will be ready to see your optician to be measured for new glasses. Your vision should be better than before your operation, particularly with your new glasses.

You can start to swim again, and return to contact sports, but ideally with eye protection. You should be able to drive again, so long as you have no other reason for not reaching the DVLA driving standard.

Yes

6 weeks

You should be able to return to all normal sports now, but follow the advice from your surgeon before resuming sports like rugby and martial arts.